


Unwell

by Slothbeans



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Amputation, Amputee Tony Stark, Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Endgame, Gen, Gift Exchange, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Injury Recovery, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Peter Parker, Recovery, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slothbeans/pseuds/Slothbeans
Summary: But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwellI know right now you can't tellBut stay awhile and maybe then you'll seeA different side of me
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43
Collections: The Friendly Neighborhood Exchange





	Unwell

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jelly_pies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jelly_pies/gifts).



> Gift exchange for jelly-pies
> 
> They wanted something with Peter being protective with tony, Post-Endgame, and lots of angst!! I don't write a ton of angst, but I wanted to think outside of the box and do a sort of suffering for both of them.
> 
> Recovery isn't always easy. It isn't always a straight progression. It's hard for all parties involved.
> 
> Hope you enjoy <3
> 
> (PS. I am not a medical expert. Please be a bit leniant with me)

Tony's dead. Or he's going to die.

There's no way anyone else could survive a blast that powerful. A universe worth of energy rushing through his body in the form of painful lightning bolts. Every soldier's eye had been drawn to his body from across the scattered battlefield that was once the Avenger's Compound.

The great hero had done what he'd needed to do. What he'd always believed he needed to do. Tony Stark - the great and powerful Ironman - had given himself to keep the world safe and save everyone from the Mad Titan Thanos. He'd sacrificed himself to keep his family safe.

_ "I. Am. Ironman." _

Peter can still hear the words echoing as he rushes towards the body. It feels like forever as he throws himself towards the man he saw as a father. The world flows around him as he scrambles forward, his senses still ringing from the most recent blast of the infinity stones.

He reaches the hero just in time to hear Tony say goodbye. A single word muttered.

"P'er."

* * *

Tony defies the odds. He somehow manages to live.

It isn't an easy feat to save the strong-willed man. A mixture of magic and medicine performed by Doctor Stephen Strange on the battlefield that keeps him holding on. It'd a miracle he even made it to the emergency room. If it wasn't for a temporary freezing of his heart, the poison would have spread to his heart in less than a minute.

There's a sense of sorrow among the heroes. They've all experienced tragic injuries in their lifetime, but nothing has ever come close to the rotted skin in Tony's right arm. In any other universe, this man would be dead.

He won't be better overnight, though. The man has a long recovery ahead of him. 

It takes days for the arm to be amputated appropriately - a full medical team working 24/7. The surgery is made overly complicated due to an already weakened heart and all the radiation poisoning spreading through his system. Doctor Strange refuses to leave until it's finished.

It takes weeks for Tony's radiation levels to come down to a safer - but still hazardous - level. He's on a constant stream of antibiotics to keep himself from going to septic. They do treatments for the radiation too, but there's little they can do when his body has been so overloaded with the otherworldly type. Human treatments do little to help him.

It takes months for Tony to open his eyes. He does so for his beautiful wife. It only lasts a few moments, but it feels like forever to a near widow who's spent the last three months accepting the loss of her soulmate. She stares into his chestnut eyes long enough to know that he's still fighting. Tony Stark doesn't give up that easily.

It takes nearly a year for him to live again. To be able to move his fingers and toes. The world believes Ironman to be long dead, and it leaves a gap for a new supervillain to sneak up in the hero's absence. A fake hero that doesn't care who dies as long as he gets power and control. He nearly succeeds too.

He's foiled by a forehead of security, an angsty teenager, a "guy in the chair", an internet streamer, and a half baked superhero. It doesn't bode well for future supervillains.

* * *

Things slowly return to normal during Peter's final year of high school. There was that slight release of his identity by a certain pissed off ex Stark Industries employee. The world was shocked by such a strong hero's identity being linked to a small, meekly teenager. Plus, there was that whole "Spider-Man Murdered Me" thing.

Most of it was dealt with by Pepper Potts. The young boy is thankful for all her experience dealing with the public, even when it meant she had to take some time away from her healing husband to help out. She's taking a break from running the company but can still use her skills to help the family she loves.

Peter has all the support he could need through his family and friends. It helps him get through a difficult time, one that he thought he wouldn't have to deal with for many decades to come. 

Still, the boy feels empty inside. He misses Tony's presence in his life.

* * *

They decide to have a small Parker-Stark Christmas since Tony's recovery is going well. Not over the top good, but there haven't been as many setbacks as they expected. No near-death experience that large will ever come with easy recovery, but considering the injury's circumstances, it's incredible that Tony Stark is already up and moving. He even has the energy to play tea party with his daughter some days)

(It probably speaks of Tony's stubbornness more than anything.)

Peter can't wait to see Tony in a non-medical setting. He's seen him a few times before, but honestly, he's been overly busy with school and his new relationship with Michelle. He's been focusing on college applications and making lasting memories, as well as patrolling the neighborhood in hopes of keeping the memory of Ironman alive. He still feels responsible for keeping the world safe.

And Peter can't lie to himself any longer. He hates going to the tiny hospital room. There's something about the room's cleanliness that puts the young boy's senses on edge: all the medical equipment and tubes hooked up to a once healthy man. It reminds him of all the death he's experienced in his lifetime.

But this is different. Things are turning around. They're going to have a great holiday together. 

Peter's spent months on his gift for Tony. Countless nights couped up in Tony's lab, trying to get everything right and ready for the former hero. It's something that the great Tony Stark could have made himself in other circumstances, but Peter just wanted to get a head start for when his mentor was ready to return to the lab. Something they're both itching to do.

The entire family is settled in the living room after a large Christmas dinner prepared by Pepper and May. Everyone Peter loves is here: May, Pepper, Morgan, Tony, Michelle, and even Happy.

Morgan spends about an hour ripping open all her gifts. There's quite a few between the mess of adults and Santa Claus. Pepper jokes about Tony spoiling their baby girl, but the entire family is just grateful that Tony is here celebrating with them that no one blames him. At least it'll distract her from that puppy she wanted for a few months.

Most of the gifts have been given out. Soon only Peter's gift for Tony will remain, but he can feel the nerves rising up within him with every passing moment. Michelle stays close to him on the small love seat, squeezing his hand for support as he starts to run his fingers through his hair nervously. 

The entire living room watches intently as Peter hands Tony the large tube.

"Blueprints?" Tony asks. There's admiration in his eyes, a pride that he feels intently for the young boy. A bond that only a father and son could genuinely share.

Peter nods. He's not sure he can speak without crying.

"He's been working on them for months," Michelle pipes in with another squeeze of her partner's hand. "I can barely get him to bed some nights."

"Sounds familiar," Pepper says with a laugh.

Now Tony is curious. The man lifts his eyebrow to prompt more information, but no one else is willing to tell him. They only wait for him to open the tube. This is something he has to experience for himself.

It feels like eons as the man pops the lid off the tube with only one hand, then slowly pulls out the large blueprints. Pepper offers to assist him with unrolling the large papers, but Tony waves her off. He's been very stubborn in the recovery and adaptation of his missing limb.

_ Which only makes Peter even more nervous. Tony doesn't need his help. This was a horrible idea... _

Tears cloud Tony's eyes as he scans over the details. The hero can see all the little ideas and workings of Peter's mind in the way things are scribbled out. All the months of hard work and sleepless nights. Even the little doodles on the edges of the paper from the boy's thinkings - something that Tony once found annoying, but he missed so much over the years without his son.

Sure. It'll probably need a few adjustments. But it's nearly perfect.

"What is it, Tony?" Pepper asks softly as she looks over her husband's shoulder.

Tony traces the plans lightly with his left hand as he replies, looking at Peter thankfully from across the room. "Plans for a new arm. Really good ones, too. Thank you, Peter. These are really well done."

"We could build it together. If you want?"

It's been a long time since Tony's been in his lab. He's not sure what he's scared of more: the temptation of working on heroic gear or the possible failure it brings. His time healing was better spent alongside his family. Being with the loved ones that were so afraid to lose him.

But Peter. He's family too. 

"How does this weekend sound?"

"Sounds perfect, Mr. Stark."

* * *

Peter brings his bag to spend the weekend. It's easier that way. The two men are generally up late into the night when they dedicate themselves to a large project. And while Tony can stay up for days at a time, the younger boy will need a bed to pass out in by the end of day two.

It feels good to return to the routine of them working together.

Things are a bit different this time. Peter isn't sure what the difference is at first. But it looms over the laboratory like a bad aura, settling in the hairs on the back of the boy's neck.

It's his Peter Tingle. It has to be.

Which means danger? But this is one of the most secure places in New York. The tower is reinforced many times over to protect the Stark family and its workers. The lab even more so - no one dangerous can even get close. There can't possibly be any danger around them.

Until Peter's acute hearing catches a metal scratch and a curse word under his mentor's breath.

"What happened?" 

"I just slipped. Everything's fine."

Peter moves to join his mentor and sees the damage. A large scratch across the thin sheet of metal where the screwdriver must have slid across it. He's glad to see no one is hurt, but they'll have to reprint the piece if they want the arm to function to the best of its ability.

The more significant issue is that this thing never happens to Tony. Peter's usually the one to mess up, and only then when he's really sleepy. Tony has a perfect record with the finer details of his craft.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. My arm just slipped. These things happen sometimes."

Peter nods in agreement, but he isn't so sure. This isn't like Tony, though he hasn't really spent much time around the man since his arm was amputated. Maybe this is a sign of something more dangerous?

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

Tony just shakes it off. This is something he's been dealing with alone for the last few months. Adjusting to his non-dominant hand has been extremely difficult, but nothing he can't handle on his own. He doesn't need anyone doting on him.

Especially not Peter.

* * *

The second lab accident happens early Saturday.

It's nothing too dangerous. No one is hurt. That doesn't stop Peter from replaying it over and over in his head, scanning for where he went wrong to avoid any possible future accidents.

Tony's under the table on a dolly so that he can adjust one of the printers. The alignment's a bit off after being unused for so long, though it should be fixed easily enough with some fresh wiring. Nothing the two of them can't correct if they put their minds together. 

"Can you pass me the rubber mallet? I just need to put the panel back on, and we should be good to go."

Peter's too focused on the buzzing on the back of his neck to give him his complete attention. He grabs the tool and hands it over mindlessly, like the good old days when they had fallen into a perfect lab routine. Where they didn't need to speak a word in between them, but they always knew what needed to happen.

It's easy to forget that things are different until the rubber mallet falls to the floor and hits Tony in the chest, right where the arc reactor used to be. The sudden shock takes the breath out of him with a painful gasp.

Peter profoundly apologizes. 

"It's fine. No harm done. Why don't you try standing on the other side, though?"

Peter's eyes widen as he realizes his mistake. This side  _ used  _ to be Tony's good side. It made sense for Peter to stand on this side before the Blip, where the man could quickly grab the tools he needed. 

Tony has no arm on that side now. Peter not only handed the mallet to an empty side but because of his carelessness, he injured his mentor in the process. His mentor, who is still healing and doing his best to relearn his entire way of doing things. They're lucky that it was only a minor mistake. He can't imagine how horrible he would feel if he had really hurt his mentor. How upset the rest of the Stark family would be with him.

His Peter Tingle is still going off. But Peter's the only danger in the room right now.

"Yeah. Sorry," Peter mumbles out as he adjusts his body to his mentor's good side.

* * *

After the screwdriver and hammer incidents, Peter dedicates himself to keeping Tony safe. He refuses to leave his mentor's side for more than a few moments. Even when the boy really has to pee, he waits until his mentor decides to take a bathroom break. That way, he isn't left alone in the lab for any amount of time.

Peter also skips sleep. Just to be safe. 

* * *

Tony's starting to get sore.

He's not the man he used to be. Things used to be different before the loss of his arm. He could spend weeks at a time in his lab with only momentary breaks for sleep, coffee, and the bathroom. He never got tired when his mind was able to focus on his projects. Even when his body begged for him to take a break.

His body begs for a break now, but in a different way than the man is used to. He's used to experiencing all kinds of pain, but this time, it's so much that his mind feels dreary as well.

His entire back feels like it could rip apart at any moment. The man's not been very active over the last year, so not only does he find himself stretching in new ways while he focuses on building the new arm, but his body is relearning how to move. The muscles in his back are overcompensating in an effort to rebalance the man without the weight on his right side. Something he's been struggling with over the past few months.

And his arm. It's like it's there. He can feel it there when he reaches to grab an item from Peter. It feels so natural for him to reach out and grab the rubber mallet, but frustrations reignite in him when the item clatters to the ground, and he remembers he lost that arm. He's just experiencing phantom limbs.

If asked, Tony would probably say the exhaustion is the worst part. He's used to his body being sore after years of shrapnel being lodged in his chest and dangerous attempts to keep the world safe. The exhaustion he feels in his mind after two straight days of lab time is nothing in comparison.

Tony wants to finish the arm. He really does. It will make everything more accessible, and he knows it. He just has to push through the next day of assembly and bug testing. Then everything will be okay.

Except that doesn't help him right now. He's exhausted and stressed. The type of Tired Tony that Pepper would usually have to drag up to their bed, and force him to sleep for a few hours. Something the husband was always vocal about, but secretly appreciative of.

But she never interrupted her lab time with Peter. He knows Pepper is too respectful of their relationship, and to an extension, their father-son bonding time. He's on his own for tonight.

It's well past the time that the boy usually taps out. Tony knows he doesn't usually last past the end of Saturday. He keeps thinking that it can't be much longer until the boy goes to bed. Then Tony can recharge for a few hours as well, as long as he isn't cutting into time he would spend with Peter.

But as tired as Peter seems to be as the sun rises on Sunday morning, he doesn't ask to go to bed.

"You're looking kind of tired there, Underoos..."

Peter yawns at the mention of the word tired. He is extremely so. But he can't leave Tony alone for any more than a second, so he just shakes it off and focuses on what they're doing. "I'm okay."

"We have to use the lazer next to fuse the metal. I can do it, though. It's not safe to operate when you're that tired. That's how young spiderlings end up in the medical ward."

"No," Peter says in a near panic. "I can do it. You shouldn't do it yourself."

Tony's blood runs hot at the boy's words. He usually wouldn't get this upset at anything Peter says, but it feels like every annoyance he's had with the boy tonight finally clicks into place. Peter's refusal to sleep. The boy's insistence on using most of the tools. Following him into the bathroom even.

It wasn't a coincidence like he had assumed. Peter's been doing it on purpose all night.

"I can use my own tools, Peter. I designed them."

"But..."

Tony lifts his good hand to stop him before he can speak another word. He doesn't want to push anything when he knows how soft the boy can be, but he needs to lay down a quick boundary before this goes any further - the same way he did with Pepper when he returned from the hospital.

"I don't like being doted on, Peter. I can do things for myself. Even with one arm."

"You're dominant arm, though."

"It doesn't matter. I'm disabled. Not incapable."

"I just don't want you to hurt yourself again. You've already done enough to help everyone, Mr. Stark."

Again with the Mr. Stark. It used to be cute and adorable. Now it's just annoying and condescending. He can't stand to be called it anymore. Not when he's already being doted upon against his wishes.

"I don't need you - or anyone else - to dote upon me. Understand?"

Tears are welling in Peter's eyes. It's nearly enough to get Tony to back down from his position, but he's a stubborn man who's fought death numerous times and won. He doesn't know how to accept help.

"I'm not doting. I just wanted to help."

"I don't need your help!"

The snapped words are enough to get the message across. The sharp tone shuts down all further arguments from the young boy. It breaks down his hope just enough to give Tony a few moments of silence, but the silence also gives Peter the chance to run from the room before his mentor can see him break into tears.

Tony watches the door with sorrow in his eyes before turning back to his workstation. Scattered among the table are reminders of the last great forty-eight hours with Peter.

_ The scratched piece of metal that Peter quickly forgave him for... _

_ The rubber hammer that Peter took the blame for even though it was Tony's phantom pains... _

_ The blueprints Peter spent numerous sleepless nights working on because he cared... _

Peter wasn't being a bad person. He was only being protective of a person he loved. Something Tony was too blind to see in the desperate fight for his independence. He should know that it's okay to receive help sometimes - if only from the ones you truly love and consider family.

Tony knows one thing. He needs to fix this before it's too late.

* * *

There's a heaviness in Tony's chest as the elevator makes its way back to the top floor. He's unsure of the cause: exhaustion from the past two days of hard work, worry about messing things up  _ again _ , or just the possibility that it's too late for him to apologize. Things may just need time to cool down.

There's a strong chance that Peter may not even be in his room. The boy tends to leave when upset. Not in a wrong way. But he prefers to come back with a more clear mind after some patrolling and some time spent reflecting on the nearest rooftop - something Tony can understand from the days before his retirement.

Morgan runs up her father as he enters the family suite. He's covered in sweat, and the exhaustion clearly shows in the bags under his eyes, but he wraps his arm around her anyway. That's something Tony could never get tired of. Hugging his daughter.

"Is your brother up here? I need to speak with him," Tony says softly, knowing that the spiderling will indeed be listening in if he's around. The last thing he wants to do is upset Peter further.

"Petey's in his room. He seemed sad," Morgan says with a pout.

_ Of course he feels sad. You blew up in his face. _

"How about you go help mom with dinner while I talk to Peter?"

"It's eleven AM, daddy."

Tony nods but walks past his daughter towards Peter's room anyway. He loves her very much, but he has two children, so he needs to fix this. He can't bear the thought of Peter alone in his room so upset.

Maybe if he fixes this, they can all have a movie night together tonight? 

Yeah. Some father - family bonding sounds just about right.

* * *

Peter tries to think of the last time he was in this room.

It had to have been over a year ago. He hasn't been in this room since Tony's recovery. There hasn't been any need for Peter to stay overnight because Tony was usually couped up in the medical ward. He never wanted to be an annoyance to Morgan and Pepper. 

But it's technically even longer. He was gone for five years. For Peter, it's been just over a year. But for Tony, it's been over six years since they've spent the weekend together like this. Six years since he's spent any time in this bed, but it feels like his room has been held this entire time in the small hopes that he returned.

The boy can see it in his clean sheets and dusted window frame. In the way there are new consoles hooked up for him that he missed over the last six years. But mostly, he can see it in the missing internship picture that used to sit on his desk. The only thing that Tony took with him when he started fresh at the cabin.

Peter was loved. And he was missed dearly.

Somehow, that only makes him feel even more upset. 

He was trying to do a good thing by working out the blueprints for Tony's arm. Sure. It was something Tony could have probably done himself. He'd already worked on Bucky's arm and had been prototyping a new arm for the anti-hero when the world had fallen into ruin.

It's like Peter had said, though. He just wanted to help. Partly because he missed their lab time together. But mostly, he'd just really wanted to prove himself to his mentor. He really valued Tony's opinion, probably beyond what a mentor-mentee relationship should be. He saw Tony as his father.

What makes it even worse is that he ditched his previous plans to be here this weekend - Michelle had been right next to him when he'd agreed without thinking. He'd forgotten his New Years' plans with his girlfriend. They were going to watch the ball drop from the top of a really high building together, but she had understood how important this was to him. She promised to let it slide this year as long as Peter had as much fun as possible.

Now he's spending New Years Day in bed crying. It's everything he could have ever wanted.

A knock on the door interrupts Peter's sobs. He sucks in the snot from his nose and quickly tries to wipe as many tears from his face as possible. They only smear across the graphic on his t-shirt.

"Can I please come in? I'd like to apologize."

Peter nods. It takes a few moments for him to realize that Tony can't see him, but once he does, he calls him in instead, doing his best to keep his voice from cracking.

Tony takes his time as he sits on the edge of Peter's bed. It's likely because he's unsure how to approach the situation and has trouble finding the words, but Peter can see something more. How exhausted the man looks. He almost seems near collapse, and it puts the young boy on edge.

"You know I love you. Right?"

Peter nods. It's such a turn from where he expected the conversation to start, but he knows that the words are true. Tony missed him enough to invent time travel. That's probably one of the most potent forms of love anyone can experience, even though it's likely lessened after Peter's behavior tonight.

"I'm serious, Peter. Like a father loves a son. That's how much you mean to me."

"I know, Mr. Stark. I love you too."

"I know you do, kiddo. That's why I'm here. I can't have you blaming yourself for what happened in the lab. I was tired and kept messing things up, and I took it out on you. It wasn't fair for me to explode on you like that."

"It's okay if you don't like the arm," Peter says with tears in his eyes. "I know this must be hard for you. I should have asked before I made it. I know you like to do things yourself."

"No," Tony replies softly, reaching out to place his hand on Peter's arm. It feels like his heart is breaking in two, and he needs to connect himself to the boy before they both start crying. "I love the arm. You did great. It's actually quite impressive. But..."

"But?"

"It's just taking me longer to adjust than I could have ever imagined."

Tony's spent the better part of his life fighting. Fighting sickness. Fighting the shrapnel in his heart. Fighting villains. Fighting PTSD. He's not used to stepping down. He doesn't know how to ask how for help.

"I just wanted to help. I promise I don't see you as any less. Everyone needs help sometimes."

"I know, Peter. It's just hard for me to accept that. Please don't give up on me."

That's all Peter needs to hear. He quickly throws himself up from under the blankets and throws his arms around his mentor in the gentlest strong hug he can muster. Tony leans in to the gesture wholeheartedly. 

"I was thinking movie night tonight? After we get some rest. Morgan too."

"Sounds perfect, Mr. Stark. I'll make the popcorn."

"That's because you'll also be the one eating all the popcorn!"

Peter laughs because he knows it's true. 


End file.
